Retro Reviews
Review House of the Dead III (PlayStation 3)
Resurrected
Another one of SEGA’s classics stumbles its way onto the PSN with the zombie infested shooter House of the Dead III. With heavy roots in the arcade scene, the House of the Dead (HotD) series has been eating quarters worldwide as one of the most well-known on-rails light gun games in history. It doesn't get much simpler than HotD in...
Review Syndicate (PlayStation 3)
Hostile takeover
Developers of first-person shooters are starting to realise that they can’t simply mimic Call of Duty in order to score a hit. While lessons can certainly be learned from Activision’s multi-billion dollar military series, there’s a growing sense that the industry understands it needs to differentiate too. The Darkness II is a...
Review Asura's Wrath (PlayStation 3)
Asura, watch
His wife murdered, his daughter stolen, cast down from the heavens — Asura has a right to be more than a little wound up. Developer CyberConnect2 really grinds this demigod’s gears in its game-come-interactive movie, adequately providing impetus for his titular rage at every turn. Told over 12,500 years, Asura’s Wrath shows off...
Review Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (PlayStation 3)
And one 4 all
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One does a great job of transforming Insomniac's slapstick shooter series into an enjoyable co-operative ride. Stunning presentation and accessible multiplayer implementation provide the game with an engaging campaign, though it is somewhat let down by disappointing combat and an uninspired final-third. As...
Review Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time (PlayStation 3)
Tick tock
The conclusion of the Ratchet & Clank Future arc, Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time focuses on Ratchet's continuing rescue mission of Clank and the dastardly deeds of antagonist Dr Nefarious. Building upon much familiarity from previous Ratchet & Clank games, A Crack In Time introduces numerous new mechanics including Clank's...
Review Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X (PlayStation Portable)
X marks the spot
As the long-running Mega Man series was set to enjoy its twentieth anniversary, Capcom appeared to be gearing itself up for the event with not one, but two remakes of classic Mega Man games, both of which were released exclusively on the PSP. The first one – Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X – is a remake of Mega Man X, which appeared...
Review Gotham City Impostors (PlayStation 3)
Call of Batman: Gotham Warfare
Gotham City: the home of Batman, along with thousands of denizens who either look to the skies for the caped crusader when in need, or faithfully follow his crazed evil nemesis, the Joker. But there’s also the demented wannabes that will do anything to try and gain their 15 minutes of fame and Gotham City Impostors...
Review Grand Slam Tennis 2 (PlayStation 3)
Serving up a winner?
Grand Slam Tennis 2 has the daunting task of following up last year’s brace of solid tennis titles. Both Virtua Tennis 4 and Top Spin 4 hold a racquet-like grip on the two opposing formats of the tennis genre: Virtua Tennis with its slick arcade action and Top Spin with its challenging simulation focus. It’s unsurprising,...
Review Mega Man: Powered Up (PlayStation Portable)
Ultra Mega Mega Man
Not content with releasing a remake of Mega Man X on the PSP in the form of Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X, Capcom went and unleashed a second remake on owners of Sony's portable in the space of a month. Mega Man: Powered Up is an overhauled and infinitely deeper remake of the very first Mega Man game ever, which appeared on the NES...
Review Need For Speed: The Run (PlayStation 3)
Run down
Need For Speed: The Run is a brilliant idea, but the game's bogged down by some iffy technical issues and frustrating AI. There's a lot to like about The Run — it's well presented and technically impressive — but its quirks will prevent you from returning despite its excellent Autolog implementation and decent track design. The last...
Review Driver: San Francisco (PlayStation 3)
Dreamy
Driver: San Francisco is eccentric but brilliant, carving a slapstick narrative around its complex mechanics. The game's prominent gameplay feature, 'Shift', not only introduces a new way to play, but also opens a window into developer Reflections' creativity, offering objectives that are not only extremely enjoyable but also wilfully...
Review Mecho Wars (PlayStation Minis)
Don't wreck-o my Mecho
Turn-based strategy games are a natural fit for portable devices, their slow pace unhindered by the somewhat erratic schedule of playing games on the go. While the genre has spread far and wide in recent years with many games that look and play quite similarly to one another, Mecho Wars sets itself apart with unique mechanics...
Review Rayman Origins (PlayStation 3)
Four limbs good, no limbs better
Rayman Origins is a delirious platformer packed with delicious visuals and scrumptious level design. The legless protagonist's latest adventure is the perfect antidote to the industry's frustrating obsession with gritty war games, prompting some of the most fun you'll find on PlayStation 3 this year. Games like...
Review Sonic Generations (PlayStation 3)
Cycle shattering
Sonic Generations is a fitting celebration of the blue blur's legacy. We imagine somewhere deep inside Sonic Team's Tokyo headquarters there's a whiteboard packed with diagrams, text and flowcharts. Written at the head of the whiteboard in bold, red marker pen are the words 'Breaking The Sonic Cycle'. Venture into any Sonic thread...
Review The Simpsons Arcade Game (PlayStation 3)
Excellent
The arcade scene of the early 90's was a great time for spare change. A handful of coins was more than money. In between laps of the roller rink and mouthfuls of pizza, any coinage you had left became tokens into another world, giving you one more shot at toppling your nemeses of choice, whether that be Shredder, Magneto or Mr. Burns. When...
Review Batman: Arkham Asylum (PlayStation 3)
Dark Knight chronicles
When the Joker escapes Arkham Asylum (again) and gives himself up without a fight, you'd be right to assume something's not quite right. Of course, this being the start of the game, your assumptions would be correct. The Joker tricks Batman inside Arkham Asylum of which he subsequently takes control. Cue one of Batman's most...
Review Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PlayStation 3)
Lightning strikes twice
We all know that the hugely popular Final Fantasy RPG series has had more than its fair share of games, but rarely do we witness direct sequels. As one of those rare games, Final Fantasy XIII-2 takes place directly after the events of Final Fantasy XIII; Lightning vanishes without a trace and only Serah can remember seeing...
Review The Darkness II (PlayStation 3)
Are you afraid of the dark?
We’ve all been in a situation where two hands are not enough: we pop pencils behind our ears and grip paper in our mouth, cursing through muffled breath about our awkward plight. Jackie Estacado, the protagonist of 2K’s The Darkness franchise, doesn’t have that problem. Armed with two standard anatomical limbs and a...
Heaven or hell?
An enchanting and minimal experience, Limbo is absolutely essential. Limbo's minimalism presents itself from the outset. The opening is bereft of button prompts and exposition, settling for a delightfully simplistic title screen and an opening in which our protagonist — a silhouette of a small boy with radiating white eyes —...
Review God of War Collection (PlayStation 3)
God of before
Love him or hate him, Kratos is an important part of the PlayStation brand. The vengeful antihero has starred in some of the platform’s very best titles, and the God of War Collection brings those classics back to life with startling clarity. Remastering PS2 favourites God of War and God of War II in beautiful high definition, the...
Review Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PlayStation 3)
A master of its craft
This title may feel familiar, but its similarity is hard to criticise when the core components are this good. A speculative campaign and a freshly balanced multiplayer component headline Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and while the visual engine is looking a bit tired, its penchant for addictive gunplay remains unmatched...
Review Battlefield 3 (PlayStation 3)
Field of dreams
Battlefield 3's single player campaign checks all the required boxes, but fails to better the offerings of its competitors. Multiplayer is where the game finds its purpose, offering a raw experience that's both technically outstanding and masterfully balanced. EA promised the world during the build-ip to Battlefield 3's release. It...
Review Assassin's Creed: Revelations (PlayStation 3)
Not very revelatory
Considering its subtitle, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is disappointingly light in this regard. While Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood managed to shatter our pre-conceptions last year, Revelations is the third series title in as many years, and it's starting to show. The mechanics that once felt new and interesting are...
Review Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (PlayStation 3)
Brothers to the end
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood picks up moments after the end of Assassin's Creed II. Remember that ending? Bizarre artifacts, weird mystical people and strange prophecies. Brotherhood begins as Ezio leaves the Colosseum with the Apple Of Eden — a bizarre, powerful relic — in hand. If Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is your...
Review 3D Dot Game Heroes (PlayStation 3)
A wink to the past
As the age-old tale of a youngster who defeated the evil Dark King Onyx slips into legend, tourist numbers begin to drop in the quaint land of the Dotnia Kingdom. The economy needs a boost, and the King of the land has an idea that'll bring people flocking to the once bustling greens of Dotnia. The once sprite-based landscape will...
Review Enslaved: Odyssey To The West (PlayStation 3)
Monkey magic
Loosely based on the traditional Chinese novel Journey To The West, Enslaved dictates the tale of Trip and Monkey as they traverse a dangerous post-apocalyptic world. Set some 150 years after the Earth's collapse, human life has all but been eradicated. The overgrown, dilapidated skyline of New York city greets the couple's arrival in...
Review L.A. Noire (PlayStation 3)
Case closed
L.A. Noire is our favourite type of game, but it won't appeal to everybody. Those looking promisingly at the Rockstar logo on the game's cover should know that this is not a Grand Theft Auto-esque affair. While it supports the open world structure and narrative driven campaign of Rockstar's traditional adventures, this is a much more...
Review Red Dead Redemption (PlayStation 3)
Cowboys are back in town
Red Dead Redemption is Grand Theft Auto in the Wild West. We told ourselves over and over that opening the review in this way was a cop-out, but it's undeniable - Red Dead Redemption is Grand Theft Auto in the Wild-West. In many ways, however, it's also much more. Red Dead Redemption marries the detail of Grand Theft Auto IV...
Review ModNation Racers (PlayStation Portable)
On-the-go karts
ModNation Racers PSP comes so close to its PlayStation 3 counterpart that it's impossible not to compare the two titles. Sadly, that's detrimental to ModNation Racers PSP because, for everything the game gets right, the drifting component feels 'off'. However, if you're able to overcome the issue you'll find a super deep kart-racer...
Review ModNation Racers (PlayStation 3)
Drive, create, share
ModNation Racers takes everything that is good about Nintendo's Mario Kart franchise and rids itself of the bad. It then put the remains into a bowl and mixes in one-third LittleBigPlanet and two-thirds fun. This is a kart racer done the Play, Create, Share way, a genre Sony's single-handedly brought to the forefront of the...
